Edmonton World Cup Triathlon - 2011 Edition
For those whom are unfamiliar, the International Triathlon Union is host to elite race series in the Sport of Triathlon. This series has a handful of World Cup races catering to athletes racing toward 2012 London Olympic games. Edmonton, and this specific race course, has hosted the 2001 World Championships, 2002 Canadian National Championships, and a World Cup race annually until 2007. So, the race is making a return this year.
I completed this race in 2002, 2003, and 2007. My personal best Olympic Distance Triathlon was here in 2007 in a time of 2:15:36.
The weekend before this race, I completed the GWN Half Ironman in an almost PR time. I was a bit concerned about racing again in only 1 weeks time, but had a pretty solid week of recovery. Took a few days off, and did a bit of training to keep my body moving.
One of the cool things about this race is that it is in my home town and there are alot of people I know who race and are involved in organizing the race. My friend, Mike G, asked me to be part of a media event with some of the pro triathletes Thursday before the race. It was SO AWESOME!. There were 3 amateur athletes like myself, and around 8 pro's at the event. The police blocked off the roads for us, and we were able to do 2 loops of the cycling course. There is a large hill, and the police had set up the radar, to track our speed. On the second lap, we had seperated and rode down the hill individually to see who could get the top speed. I was surprised that I was able to clock 69km/hr and this was the fastest!! There were alot of camera's and media present, and apparently it was broadcast on a few news stations and local papers. Thanks Mike for the invite, was so cool to be part of.
I was still riding high this week fresh off my performance at the GWN. The weather had been SO nice my entire trip to Canada thus far. Here are some pics of Hawrelak Park and the venue being set up in the sunshine Thursday late morning.....
And then it was Friday before the race, and the forecast changed. All the sudden it was like a Monsoon hit Edmonton and did not let up. We had to register on Saturday and also leave our bike in transition overnight. It was completely wet outside. I had to use large white car tire covers to protect my bike as I did not want the parts to rust in the rain. So, it was like playing arts and crafts in the rain, with bags and masking tap. Oh, and not to mention the swarms of mosquitoes. There were so many.
Before I go any further in this post, I need to mention that from this point forward, there were NUMEROUS organizational issues with the race. I mean, there were alot!! But, I would like to focus on the positive as I had one of the most memorable days.
Sunday July 11, 2011 - Race Day
I woke up on race morning, and of course it was still raining outside. However, I was committed to racing no matter what, and so just proceeded to eat my pre-race meal, down a few cups of coffee, and was off to pick up BF Lisa who was coming with my mom to support my effort. I would like to thank both of them for putting up with me race morning. I was actually pretty nervous about the race, and was sad my time in Canada was coming to an end. The organizational issues with the race were stressing me out, and I was in quite a bad mood. They both were so great, and snapped me out of it.
We had to park at the University of Alberta, and took a shuttle bus down to Hawrelak Park. Got my transition set up, and we headed to a indoor kiosk down by the lake. Apparently no one else really knew of this little gem, and we were only part of a select few escaping the wetness of the the morning.
Despite my nerves, I was actually excited to see how the race would go. I do best when conditions are mild, and the rain suits me on the run. I tend to overheat quickly while running. My start time was quickly approaching. We had to meet at a starting location in the park, and were marched down to the lake via a bag-piper. It is really cool, but also kinda feels like a death march :)
Swim - 1.5km - 22min 46sec
The swim was a beach start, with an age group specific wave start and comprised two loops around the lake. You have to exit the water and run around a tree between loops. I got a solid start and was in front of the pack for a short time. Then things got a little rough, but nothing too bad. I was swimming pretty well, and was SHOCKED when a group of 3 girls caught me before I even finished the first loop!!! They started after my wave start, and I thought that I must be swimming super slow. Oh well, I made my way around the tree and back into the water and finished my second lap pretty strong. In my head, I must have had a really bad swim, but in the end, it was actually a fast swim for me at 22min 46 sec :)
Exiting the water and heading toward T1
Bike - 40km - 1hour 7min
The bike is a four loop course, which features a few good short climbs on each loop and is very technical. The rain started to really come down and there were some gusty winds adding to the fun. I had a solid first lap, and was riding strong. I was trying my best to catch the group of 3-4 guys ahead of me in my age group.
And then during the second lap, I started feeling a bit cold, and could start to feel the effects of the race the weekend before. At the top of the hill, I got a severe muscle cramp in my left calf. I was able to ride single leg for a while, and it subsided after a minute or so. I decided to ease up ever so slightly. The 3rd lap went strong. Then on the 4th lap I got another cramp, this time in my right calf. OUCH! I did the same thing, and rode single leg until the cramp subsided. By this time, I was getting really cold with the rain and wind. I was able to finish off the bike at a moderate pace as I was trying to save my legs for the run.
Got off my bike and felt ok-ish. Got to my transition spot, pulled my shoes out of the plastic bag protecting them from the rain. Then as I tried to slip on my racing flats, both of my legs completely seized/cramped at the same time. This is no joke. It was excruitiating! I thought I would not be able to finish the race. Then, I thought, I would just wait it out, and see if my body would come around. 3-4 minutes passed, and so had several other athletes. I was somehow able to finally slip on my shoes, regrouped, and headed out for the 10km on cramped legs.....
Run - 10km - 46min 19sec (including T2)
So somehow my legs came around quickly. I think it was the motion of bending forward that was making my legs cramp. Once I started onto the run, I was feeling determined and was running fast.
The run is totally flat and 3 out and back loops. This can be quite mentally challenging as you know exactly where everyone on the course is. It was still raining outside, which I liked alot! I got into a fast stride quickly, and was able to chase down alot of people! There were only a few athletes who passed me during the entire run, and so I knew I was running fast.
I knew in the back of my mind that my trouble in T2 really hurt my placing in the race, but I was determined to just give everything I had to finish as strong as possible.
Charging toward the finish line
Relieved to have finished my second race in as many weeks :)
I must admit that felt like the best 10km I had ever run. I was shocked when the results were finally posted and it was 46minutes. Then I realized that T2 was included in the run split, and that is why it was so slow :( I wish I could have know my actual run split. I would estimate somewhere around 41minutes.
Finish Time - 2 hours 16min 13 sec - 20th Overall, 4th Men 30-34
I was SUPER happy with my perfomance. To my delight, I again almost got a PR out there. I missed it by around 35 seconds. All cramping issues considered, I am happy with the race, how I handled my body, and my strong finish!! This was my best result at this race :)
In the hot tub after the race
With BF Lisa after the race - a change of clothes and another run?
The post race was amazing. I had the best time I have had in a long time. Beer and a pasta lunch, followed by the mens and womens pro races. I must admit, I hit the beer tent pretty hard. I think I deserved it after 2 almost PR races in 2 weeks :) Watching the pro races was so cool. And then we got our hands on VIP Tent passes and were able to walk down an actual red carpet and were treated to free food/wine/beer and were able to watch right at the finish line. Red Carpet treatment litereally!!! I was also able to meet Paula Findlay here, and wished her luck in the upcoming season and at the olympics.
The afternoon passed quickly. We saw some amazing races, and we headed home as I needed to pack for my Monday morning flight back to San Francisco.
My trip to Canada was so amazing. It was great to spend time where I had grown up, and interesting to see how far (or not) I have come....
Next up, Escape from the Rock Triathlon July 24.......
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